1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to methods and devices for manufacturing a conduit for placing a target vessel in fluid communication with a source of blood, and more particularly placing a coronary vessel in fluid communication with a heart chamber containing blood.
2. Description of Related Art
Despite the considerable advances that have been realized in cardiology and cardiovascular surgery, heart disease remains the leading cause of death throughout much of the world. Coronary artery disease, or arteriosclerosis, is the single leading cause of death in the United States today. As a result, those in the cardiovascular field continue to search for new and improved treatments.
Coronary artery disease is currently treated by interventional procedures such as percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA), coronary stenting and atherectomy, as well as surgical procedures including coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). The goal of these procedures is to reestablish or improve blood flow through occluded (or partially occluded) coronary arteries, and is accomplished, for example, by enlarging the blood flow lumen of the artery or forming a bypass that allows blood to circumvent the occlusion. What procedure(s) is used typically depends on the severity and location of the blockage(s). When successful, these procedures restore blood flow to myocardial tissue that had not been sufficiently perfused due to the occlusion.
An alternative, recently proposed treatment places the target vessel in fluid communication with a heart chamber containing blood, for example, the left ventricle. Blood flows from the ventricle into a conduit that is in fluid communication with the target vessel. Some of the challenges associated with these procedures include delivering and deploying the conduit in the patient's body, and in particular properly positioning the conduit with respect to the heart chamber and the target vessel.
The continued improvement and refinement of existing treatments and the search for new treatments are indicative of the significant effort that continues to be expended in order to develop better and more efficient ways of revascularizing the heart.
Accordingly, there is a need in the art for improved methods and devices that are capable of being used quickly, easily and in a repeatable manner to carry out cardiac revascularization successfully and economically. Consequently, there is a need in the art for methods and devices for manufacturing conduits that will meet one or more of these needs.